Bereavement Leave Washington Eligibility & Rights

Washington Bereavement Leave in Family Laws & HR Compliance Analysis

The death of a close or an immediate family member can be a tough time to go through for any individual. Some people may even require time to arrange for the last rites and the funeral services of the demised. As such, many states have policies regarding bereavement leave for employees- a leave taken by employees in the event of the death of an immediate family member to mourn and attend funeral services.

Bereavement Leave Washington And Federal Law

The state of Washington has a brief set of guidelines governing bereavement leave in particular. However, variation in policies may be seen from employer to employer and organization to organization. The recently put in place Sick Leave Laws do not cover bereavement leave or leave given upon the death of a family member.

For Whom Can Employees Use Bereavement Leave

The employee can take a bereavement leave for any close or immediate family member. These include parents, step-parents, children (natural, foster, or adopted), stepchildren, siblings, step-siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, spouses, same-sex committed domestic partners, and in-laws.

Bereavement leave can also be taken for people residing in the employee’s house with whom he or she is emotionally and financially interdependent. This does not, however, cover the likes of friends or roommates.

How Much Time Off One Can Get For A Bereavement Leave

Employees under the state are entitled to up to 3 days of bereavement leave by their employers in the event of the death of an immediate family member. This time period can be extended with the help of accrued days of sick leave.

Eligibility to take Bereavement Leave Washington

The employer has the right to ask you to show evidence of the death of the individual through a death certificate or any other form of published or documented verification. All employees under the state, whether they are full time, half time, or casual workers are entitled to paid bereavement leave Washington for a minimum of three days.

Rights Of Employees On Bereavement Leave

The recently put in place Sick Leave Laws do not allow an employee to use their accrued sick leave days as part of the leave of absence for bereavement. However, in accordance to the policies of individual companies, an individual may be able to use other leaves such as sick leaves, annual leaves, and vacation leaves as paid time off to mourn a family member’s death.

The three day leave given to the employee as bereavement leave is supposed to be paid leave. Any time beyond that could be paid or unpaid time off based on the mutual discussion and agreement between the employee and the employer. It is unlawful for an employer to refuse a three-day bereavement leave to an employee in the state of Washington.